Fike's Lives

In the talk, Our Immediate Responsibility (October 25, 1966), Ezra Taft Benson spoke of our responsibilities as Latter-day Saints, as Priesthood Holders, as Christians, as Americans...

The following is the portion played on the Glenn Beck program:

I have talked face to face with the godless communist leaders. It may surprise you to learn that I was host to Mr. Kruschev for a half day when he visited the United States, not that I’m proud of it. I opposed his coming then, and I still feel it was a mistake to welcome this atheistic murderer as a state visitor.

But, according to President Eisenhower, Kruschev had expressed a desire to learn something of American Agriculture — and after seeing Russian agriculture I can understand why.

As we talked face to face, he indicated that my grandchildren would live under communism. After assuring him that I expected to do all in my power to assure that his and all other grandchildren will live under freedom he arrogantly declared in substance:

You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept communism outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism. We won’t have to fight you. We’ll so weaken your economy until you’ll fall like overripe fruit into our hands!

While that is a powerful excerpt, the entire talk is full of powerful and valuable information, guidance and wisdom. I will quote some more excerpts below, I hope you will take the time to listen to or read the entire talk.

"The communist threat from without may be serious, but it is the enemy within, warns President McKay, that is most menacing."

“Next to being one in worshiping God,” says President McKay, “there is nothing in this world upon which this church should be more united than in upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States!.”

"We cannot compromise good and evil in an attempt to have peace and unity in the Church, any more than the Lord could have compromised with Satan in order to avoid the War in Heaven."

"Let me quote a few excerpts from that inspired statement and ye who have been misled into believing that you can somehow righteously avoid standing up for freedom – heed his counsel: “In order that there may be no misunderstanding by bishops, stake presidents, and others regarding members of the Church participating in nonchurch meetings to study and become informed on the Constitution of the United States, Communism, etc...Church members are at perfect liberty to act according to their own conscience in matters of safeguarding our way of life. They are, of course, encouraged to honor the highest standards of the gospel and to work to preserve their own freedoms...The position of this church on the subject of Communism has never changed. We consider it the greatest satanical threat to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God’s work among men that exists on the face of the earth."

"According to Norman Vincent Peal, “Their was a time when the American people roared like lions for liberty; now they bleat like sheep for security.” “But,” some say, “Shouldn’t we have confidence in our government officials – don’t we owe them allegiance?” To which we respond in the words of President Clark, “God provided that in this land of liberty, our political allegiance shall run not to individuals, that is, to government officials… the only allegiant we owe as citizens or denizens of the United States, runs to our inspired Constitution which God Himself set up.”

"Now Satan is anxious to neutralize the inspired counsel of the Prophet...he will argue, “There is no need to get involved in the fight for freedom – all you need to do is live the gospel.” Of course this is a contradiction, because we cannot fully live the gospel and not be involved in the fight for freedom."

"There has been no more fight in us than there is in a bunch of sheep, and we have been much like sheep. Freedom was never brought to a people on a silver platter, nor maintained with whisk brooms and lavender sprays."

"We have been warned again and again and again. The Lords spokesman has consistently raised his voice of warning about the loss of our freedom. Now he that has ears, let him hear, and ye who praise the Lord, learn to also follow His spokesman. ...as for me and my house, we will strive to walk with the Prophet. And the Prophet has said that: “No greater immediate responsibility rests upon the members of the church, upon all citizens of this republic and of neighboring republics than to protect the freedom vouchsafe by the Constitution of the United States.”"

An Invitation

I want to invite you to browse the website today. I encourage you to read every article and every quote on the website, as daunting a task as that might seem. Now and again I re-read many of the articles and quotes I have put up on the website. It's inspiring to me to read the words of the prophets and other leaders and their stand for freedom. If you don't read everything, I would at least recommend the quotes by the prophets along with article by W. Cleon Skousen and Ezra Taft Benson. As I have read and studied these things from an LDS perspective I find myself coming to the same conclusions and learning many of the same things as those who study non-lds philosophers such as Adam Smith, Frederick Bastiat, Ludwig Von Mises, Ayn Rand, and others.

Communism Today

Communism was the big enemy to freedom in the time of Ezra Taft Benson and David O. McKay, both who were vocal in opposing it. President Benson often mentioned that socialism is the twin to communism, that there is not much difference between the two.

Many believe the communists were "defeated". Today, rather than openly trying to get Americans to accept communism they now have craftily and slowly duped many into accepting socialism.

What is Left? What is Right?

Within both major parties there are many politicians and government officials that have also supported and voted for socialism. As much as some want to believe the republicans are the good guys and the democrats as the bad - that is not the reality. I invite you to read W. Cleon Skousen's article titled: What is Left? What is Right? - http://www.latterdayconservative.com/w.-cleon-skousen/what-is-left-what-is-right.html - If you read and understand this you will also understand my way of thinking regarding political paradigms. I do not see it as left vs right, republican vs democrat or liberal vs. conservative... my paradigm is different... I see Freedom being in the balance. On one side of the spectrum there is 100% anarchy, on the other is 100% tyranny, the Constitution provides the proper balance between the two, of having just enough laws to keep us free. Unfortunately today we are far from the balance provided by the Constitution and have been creeping slowly towards socialism and tyranny.

Quoting from W. Cleon Skousen's What is Left? What is Right?:

"The U.S. Constitution, therefore, was designed to establish the American eagle right in the center of the political spectrum. With cautious precision, the founding fathers hammered out the framework of the Constitution during the sultry summer months of 1787. It was to be a government of the people with enough power to preserve order and security, but not enough central authority to abuse the people."

"The American Eagle developed into a two-winged creature...Recent American history will demonstrate that Wing #1 tends to solve its problems by rushing to the left, trying to seize control of the people, and then using legislative authority to force them to "do what is good for them." On the other hand, Wing #2 tends to become indifferent to changing times and the need for adjustment and therefore runs the risk of degenerating toward the right and losing the confidence of the people because of the chaos created by unsolved problems."

"It often comes as a great shock to some people to hear that the Nazi-Fascist dictatorships are Marxist movements and occupy a position on the political spectrum right next to International Communism."